I really don’t want to make any of this about me, but I’m on vacation in another country right now and I just found out one of my family members is an ardent Trump supporter. This man lives in another country, he’s super into Trump, and he told me that “America should be for Americans,” which makes no sense because he isn’t even American and he used to live in the US. I digress. The point of this is that we all have a Trump-supporting relative (or a lot of them), and engaging with them can be pretty difficult. Thankfully, this week’s lineup of activist events includes a workshop on how to talk to them, plus rallies and letter-writing campaigns, and a few parties and benefit shows to let off some steam. Onward:
MONDAY (TODAY)
We Will Not Be Moved: Rally to Stop Federal Housing Cuts
City Hall, Manhattan
12pm – 1pm
Upwards of 600,000 New Yorkers will be affected by Trump’s proposed cuts to federal housing programs, including a $150 million cut to NYCHA. Join community groups, tenants, and local officials in opposing these inhumane cuts and standing in solidarity with the hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers who rely on NYCHA and Section 8 for affordable housing.
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Fight Training: Women, Trans, Non-Binary and Gender Non Conforming
The Base
1302 Myrtle Ave., Bushwick
7pm – 9pm
FREE
You can’t punch Nazis if you don’t know how to defend yourself. This self-defense class meets every other Monday and is tailored for attendees during each session. Instructors will be covering stretching, conditioning, technique, and theory with a focus on creating an inclusive space for people of all genders. They’ll have equipment on hand, but participants are encouraged to bring gloves, mitts, hand wraps, jump ropes, and any other equipment they think could be useful. Remember to wear clothing you feel comfortable sweating and stretching in!
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#PeoplesMonday for Denise Hawkins
Washington Square Park, Manhattan
7pm – 10pm
Every Monday, NYC Shut It Down honors a victim of police brutality by presenting facts about their specific case within the broader context of institutional racism. This week, they’re honoring Denise Hawkins, an 18-year-old woman who was shot by a Rochester police officer in 1975 while running away from an abusive boyfriend.
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North Brooklyn Progressive Democrats March Meeting
The Well
272 Meserole Street, Bushwick
8pm – 10:30pm
FREE
The North Brooklyn Progressive Democrats is still a relatively new organization. At this month’s meeting, they’ll be electing their club’s officers. Although it’s too late to run for a position, now is the perfect time to get involved!
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TUESDAY
The Ides of Trump
The Well
272 Meserole St., Bushwick
4pm – 11pm
FREE
On Tuesday, March 14th, groups around the country are writing to the White House to express their concerns. The Well will be providing postcards, postage, and $2 beers all night to encourage you to make your voice heard. Come early (or late), write a postcard or 12, and tell the president what you think about his performance thus far.
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Take Action Tuesdays
Tip Top Bar & Grill, Bed-Stuy
432 Franklin Ave., Bed Stuy
6pm – 12am
$2 suggested donation
Since Trump’s inauguration, a group of dedicated postcard-writers have mailed hundreds of postcards, written over a drink or two, to our representatives. They have themed postcards, $5 beer-and-shot specials, and writing prompts for cards you can send anyone you think needs to listen — from Chuck Schumer to NASA. The event is free, but it’s recommended that you donate $2 for stamps and other supplies.
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PSSS Pi Day Show
The Footlight
465 Seneca Ave, Ridgewood
7pm
Donation
Celebrate Pi Day with comedy, music, and homemade pies for a good cause.The lineup is exclusively made up of funny and talented ladies, and the proceeds from this sketch show benefit the National Center for Transgender Equality.
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The Movable Middle 101 : Talking With Family and Friends Who Support Trump
Hunter College
205 Hudson St., room 205, Manhattan
7pm
FREE
Lots of New Yorkers have family members who voted for Trump, or are at least saying we should “give him a chance” and “see how this plays out.” Trying to persuade these people is hard, but this facilitated group discussion is designed to teach you how to create person-to-person change by engaging with your Trump-supporting friends and family. Participants are encouraged to compose a short personal mission statement to use when interacting with loved ones they disagree with politically and to write a short list of people they want to focus on engaging with over the next year or two.
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WEDNESDAY
Lunch at Cuomo’s – Rally for Reproductive Rights
Governor Cuomo’s Manhattan Office
663 Third Ave., Manhattan
12pm – 1pm
A group of dedicated activists are rallying every Wednesday in favor of reproductive rights until the State Senate votes on the Reproductive Health Act. Since the proposed “replacements” for the Affordable Care Act completely neglect reproductive health, and Trump and Pence have doubled down on making access to abortion and reproductive health services a “state’s rights issue,” this legislation is incredibly important for New Yorkers.
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The Power of Immigrant Communities – A Neighborhood Gathering in Brooklyn
Brooklyn Borough Hall
209 Joralemon St., Brooklyn Heights
6pm – 9 pm
FREE with RSVP
Some estimate that at least 800 languages are spoken in New York City. On Wednesday, the New York Women’s Foundation is hosting a gathering celebrating our city’s diversity and the power of immigrant communities. Panelists include Ana Maria Archila, Co-Director, Center for Popular Democracy; Cathy Dang, Executive Director, CAAAV: Organizing Asian Communities; Julia Jean-Francois, LCSW, PhD, Co-Director, Center for Family Life in Sunset Park; and Janis Rosheuvel, Board Vice Chair, Black Alliance for Just Immigration. The event is free, but space is limited, so be sure to RSVP.
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SURJ NYC March Chapter Meeting
Location TBD
6pm – 8:30pm
FREE
New members are encouraged to show up at 6pm for a brief orientation before the full meeting begins at 6:30. This month, SURJ will discuss how white people can support immigrant-led organizing, how white supremacy shapes the immigration debate, what sanctuary can mean and more. Free childcare can be provided for children ages two and up, just be sure to RSVP here.
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New Kings Democrats Meeting
Event Space at Genius
92 3rd St., Gowanus
6:30pm – 9pm
FREE
Anyone looking to join the NKD should arrive at 6:30 for orientation; otherwise, the meeting starts at 7pm sharp. This month, the group will be discussing their plan for the rest of the year and new initiatives, including Assembly Member Bobby Carroll’s recent bills intended to improve the voter registration process, educate voters on the election and primary system, and provide greater oversight on lobbying.
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Mad Max: Fury Road
The Nitehawk
136 Metropolitan Ave., Williamsburg
7:15pm
$30
The cost of a ticket for this special screening of Mad Max: Fury Road includes a copy of Why I March, a book featuring images from the January Women’s March around the world. The proceeds benefit several nonprofits, including the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health, the Transgender Law Center, and the Council on American Islamic Relations.
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THURSDAY
Make New York a TRUE Sanctuary – Rally for Immigrant Rights and Against the Ban 2.0
Washington Square Park, Manhattan
6pm – 8pm
New York may consider itself a “sanctuary city,” but that doesn’t mean immigrants are safe from deportation and Muslims are free from racial profiling and discrimination. This protest is a response to the latest iteration of the Muslim ban and to Trump’s ongoing anti-immigrant policies, local broken-windows policing, and in support of those who have been targeted by the new administration. The rally begins in Washington Square Park, and protesters will march down to the Varick Street detention center, where immigrants awaiting deportation proceedings are held.
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Speak Out for Abortion, Birth Control, and Healthcare for All!
26 Federal Plaza, Manhattan
6pm – 8pm
The federal government not only wants to repeal the Affordable Care Act – they also want to take away access to necessary reproductive health services, including birth control and abortion, for millions of Americans. Come rally in support of free abortion and birth control, universal healthcare, and paid parental leave for all New Yorkers and all Americans with the National Women’s Liberation group on Thursday.
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Rise & Resist: Marshal Training for Protests & Marches
Hunter College
205 Hudson St., HAAG Room, Manhattan
7pm
Learn to be a protest marshal with Rise and Resist’s training session. Marshals support Rise & Resist actions and other protests and protect our right to protest by setting up their own pickets, deciding whether or not to “pen” protesters, stopping traffic during marches, and providing a buffer between protesters and the NYPD.
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Benefit Show: Stringer, Museum of Recycling, Giants + MORE
The Footlight
465 Seneca Ave., Queens
Tickets: $8.54
The lineup for this benefit show includes Stringer, Museum of Recycling, and Giants. Proceeds will benefit the Council on American-Islamic Relations, New York. The organizers are also hosting an in-kind drive at the door for WIN (Women in Need New York), an organization that provides housing and other resources to help women and their families transition out of homelessness.
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FRIDAY
Deliver 44,000 Petition Signatures to Cuomo to Stop Spectra
Governor Cuomo’s Manhattan Office
633 Third Ave., Manhattan
10am – 12pm
Resist Spectra is delivering 44,000 petition signatures demanding that Cuomo stop the Spectra Atlantic Bridge project, which is linked to significant risk of nuclear disaster impacting 20 million New Yorkers, and will contaminate our waterways and wetlands, and contribute to more air pollution. Join them!
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Protect Trans Right
Washington Square Park, Manhattan
12pm – 7pm
Stand in solidarity with trans folks, who are being increasingly targeted by the Trump administration, this Friday afternoon rally. Organizers have described the event as a “large group hug” in the park.
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SATURDAY
6th Annual Shirley Chisholm Women’s Empowerment Conference
Medgar Evers College
1638 Bedford Ave., Crown Heights
9am – 3pm
$20 / $10 for students
Women of color panelists from various city and state government offices will speak about housing and gentrification, youth engagement, and economic conditions at this panel, featuring a keynote speech by Congresswoman Yvette Clarke.
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Divestment Day
Union Square, Manhattan
10am – 2pm
Tell big banks, including Wells Fargo, CitiBank, TD Bank, Chase and Bank of America that you won’t support their funding of the Dakota Access Pipeline at this Saturday’s rally in Union Square. The organizers have put together this list of banks you can switch to instead, so you can literally put your money where your mouth is. They’re asking that anyone who switches banks fills out this form as well.
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NY State Civics 101: Activist Boot Camp
Hunter College
205 Hudson St., room 205, Manhattan
FREE with RSVP
Between Cuomo, the IDC, and New York’s ridiculous primary laws, local politics can be a lot to handle. This activist training, led by 2 Hours a Week and the Hunter Artist Action Group, is targeted at those who want to get more involved in state politics. Citizen Action NYC will discuss changes at the federal level that impact us statewide, the current state of the state government, taking back the senate in 2018 and beyond, Midwest Academy training, lobbying training, citizen action committees, and more.
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Workshop: So You Wanna Get Involved But You Don’t Know How
The Alchemical Studios
104 W. 14th St., Manhattan
3pm – 5pm
$15
This workshop will provide all the basic information for New Yorkers who want to get involved in local activism but don’t know where to begin. The workshop costs $15, and all proceeds benefit Planned Parenthood. Space is limited, so RSVP to reserve your seat. There will be tea!
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SUNDAY
US Invasion of Iraq 14th Anniversary Demonstration
NY Public Library
Fifth Ave. & 41st St.
12pm – 2pm
Remember that weird, weeklong attempt to refashion George W. Bush into some kind of cuddly hero? Yeah, forget that. This rally, in memory of the 14th anniversary of the US invasion of Iraq, is a reminder of Dubya’s real legacy and a call to action against future declarations of war (and the people who make excuses for war criminals).
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Voter Suppression Resistance Rally
Battery Park, Manhattan
2pm – 5pm
Hundreds of thousands of voters across the country were unable to vote in the 2016 presidential election because of suppressive, often racist voter registration laws intended to keep control in a certain party’s hands. Speak out in support of voter protection and tell Governor Cuomo to make essential voting reforms like Early Voting and Automatic Voter Registration part of the state budget that will be adopted by April 1st at this rally.
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The Crystal Ball
House of Yes
2 Wyckoff Ave., Bushwick
10pm – 4am
$10 – $20
Witches Against Fascist Totalitarianism are having their very first Crystal Ball, with the proceeds benefitting Population Action International, who provide reproductive health services across the world and are currently affected by Trump’s global gag rule. DJ Christy Love is spinning, aerialists and light artists will be performing, and you can expect a witch-themed cabaret at midnight. Activists, witches, and partygoers of all ethnicities and gender expressions are invited to come party for a good cause.